Other teams have figure out the Warrior defense rotation. They did well in the first half, but I don't the scheme they have can hide their weaknesses for certain match ups. They are still a good team, but they are not good enough where their strengths can hide their weaknesses.

In the last couple games, opposing teams really seem to be going right at Klay and testing his defense out. When put the task, Thompson has really struggled. JJ Redick made him look silly on a few plays. James Harden dropped 20 points and 11 assists. I know this is his sophomore year and he'll get better, but it is what it is this season.

BayAreaHoopz wrote:In the last couple games, opposing teams really seem to be going right at Klay and testing his defense out. When put the task, Thompson has really struggled. JJ Redick made him look silly on a few plays. James Harden dropped 20 points and 11 assists. I know this is his sophomore year and he'll get better, but it is what it is this season.

Oh, it's not just the past couple games. Kobe and OJ Mayo scorched him in the beginning of the year, Joe Johnson got off in our second game against the Nets. Literally, perimeter scorers GET BUCKETS against the Warriors, and while I know it's not all Klay's fault, he's the one matching up with stars in the starting lineup and playing 40 minutes a night.

Lee and Curry are supposed to be poor defenders too, but we haven't been singed by ball handlers or PF's NEARLY as often as we've surrendered huge nights to SGs matched up with Klay Thompson. Marcus Thornton, JJ Reddick, Monta Ellis, James Harden, JR Smith, Kobe, Mayo, Gordon Hayward... Just a partial list of players that have poured in scoring nights above their season averages through a majority of Klay Thompson coverage.

And here's the thing: it's not his fault.

Just as Bogut/Ezeli have been handy to cover the stronger big for Lee/Landry, just like Jack has been helpful to body up bigger points and get Steph off the ball, so too should this front office realize that Klay Thompson is a scorer, not a lock down defender. He's 6'7", so he can block some shots when opponents are smaller, but he's not flight of foot and he surrenders outside jumpers like a guy a foot smaller. Barnes will be a better defender than Klay, he has the tools, but this management missed several chances to acquire a perimeter stopper in the interim (namely, Andre Iguodala and Rudy Gay). Hell, even Dominic McGuire was on the market, a guy Jackson could immediately insert into the rotation and trust, but management again put an overt amount of pressure and faith into the Thompson/Barnes tandem, which has been pretty spotty defensively (Barnes himself has gotten played by Paul Pierce and Evan Turner in recent games).

The fact is, this team's biggest need is a wing defender, a specialist that can neutralize these outside shooters in a way that our starting wings can't. And it's been obvious since January. Why they didn't address it is beyond me.

Or Kobe's 34p-10r-5a game where he dragged the Lakers to an OT victory? (and c'mon bro, let's not act like the fact that he took twice as many shots as his jersey number clouds him torching Klay in the 4th & OT. Cause, if you recall... Many of those 1st half attempts that Kobe was biffing came with Harrison Barnes on him. It wasn't until Barnes was taken out for Jack in 4Q/OT that Kobe went off. And who was guarding him then?)

Where Kobe took 40 shots to get 30 points. Yes, that was a pretty **** game. In fact, if you recall we were killing them that game until Dwight came back in. Every single time Dwight was out we killed them and when he came back in they dominated.

Kobe was the reason they almost lost. And I recall Barnes was mostly on Peace.

Clearly, Klay wasn't stopping him. With Kobe only taking 1 free throw and 8 three's, we can assume the majority of his points came from the perimeter. So, yeah, zone or not, it was Klay's failed assignment and despite the 11 and 6 that Dwight chipped in before fouling out, anybody watching that game would tell you that Kobe went off in the last two periods of play.

And if we're playing the volume shooter card, you should earmark the fact that Kobe's 16-of-41 (39%) is actually a better percentage than Klay shot in 16 attempts (37.5%), or Curry in 23 attempts (34.7%). I'm basing my assumption that you devalue guards shooting near 40% on your recent comments in the Milwaukee thread, but it's sadly just the nature of the beast. Perimeter shooters have nights at 50% and they have nights at 30%. The truly great ones chill in the 45-50 percentile, but that's the exception not the rule.

The fact remains. How many shots Kobe took is irrelevant given the fact that he single-handedly delivered LA a victory.

As you have guessed, this is in regards to our offense. Simple interpretation: it's easier to score in transition.And that seems to be the crucial thing for warriors in particular - with Bogut early attack is pretty much missing, for we wait for him to come and set into some scheme. It is not working as manifested in FG percentage. Our half court set offense is not effective and loses its efficiency the longer it takes to work for a shot. This is what happens when you have no post scorers demanding double team - it's easier for opposing defense to stay on the perimeter and watch the passing lanes - thus it takes too much time to move the ball to the open shooter, and most often it results in some bad saving possesion shot late in the clock( I still don't get why mark jackson has not figured how to use additional space when curry gets double team way out, sure the high key zone gets very wide then). Our two shooters get marginalized by having to take difficult shots. It also explains why I never had a problem with early shots - to run set offense is difficult and the less talented teams get smothered by the defenses.

Clearly, Klay wasn't stopping him. With Kobe only taking 1 free throw and 8 three's, we can assume the majority of his points came from the perimeter. So, yeah, zone or not, it was Klay's failed assignment and despite the 11 and 6 that Dwight chipped in before fouling out, anybody watching that game would tell you that Kobe went off in the last two periods of play.

And if we're playing the volume shooter card, you should earmark the fact that Kobe's 16-of-41 (39%) is actually a better percentage than Klay shot in 16 attempts (37.5%), or Curry in 23 attempts (34.7%). I'm basing my assumption that you devalue guards shooting near 40% on your recent comments in the Milwaukee thread, but it's sadly just the nature of the beast. Perimeter shooters have nights at 50% and they have nights at 30%. The truly great ones chill in the 45-50 percentile, but that's the exception not the rule.

The fact remains. How many shots Kobe took is irrelevant given the fact that he single-handedly delivered LA a victory.

Kobe was not the reason they won that game. Any time you take 41 shots to score 34 points, you are doing a really, really bad job.

I use TS percentage, I never even look at FG percentage and I don't remember the last time I tried searching for it.

Clearly, Klay wasn't stopping him. With Kobe only taking 1 free throw and 8 three's, we can assume the majority of his points came from the perimeter. So, yeah, zone or not, it was Klay's failed assignment and despite the 11 and 6 that Dwight chipped in before fouling out, anybody watching that game would tell you that Kobe went off in the last two periods of play.

And if we're playing the volume shooter card, you should earmark the fact that Kobe's 16-of-41 (39%) is actually a better percentage than Klay shot in 16 attempts (37.5%), or Curry in 23 attempts (34.7%). I'm basing my assumption that you devalue guards shooting near 40% on your recent comments in the Milwaukee thread, but it's sadly just the nature of the beast. Perimeter shooters have nights at 50% and they have nights at 30%. The truly great ones chill in the 45-50 percentile, but that's the exception not the rule.

The fact remains. How many shots Kobe took is irrelevant given the fact that he single-handedly delivered LA a victory.

Kobe was not the reason they won that game. Any time you take 41 shots to score 34 points, you are doing a really, really bad job.

I use TS percentage, I never even look at FG percentage and I don't remember the last time I tried searching for it.

You're opinion is welcomed as always, but we're not going to agree.

Kobe delivered a victory. No formulation of number crunching will convince me that the Lakers didn't ride his 4th quarter plus overtime to a victory. I watched the game. I saw him trash Klay. Bottom line is the Lakers aren't even in the game without Kobe. This is like when the critics used to claim Patrick Ewing was useless for disappearing in crunch time when the simple truth is the Knicks would have never been in those close games without him.

Dwight delivered a victory. And the Lakers were losing because of Kobe. He forced a lot of bad shots and put his team down by 14. It was only when Dwight came in they started catching up and started winning. We had no answer for Dwight offensively or defensively.

Blackfoot wrote:Dwight delivered a victory. And the Lakers were losing because of Kobe. He forced a lot of bad shots and put his team down by 14. It was only when Dwight came in they started catching up and started winning. We had no answer for Dwight offensively or defensively.

I must be trippin because i think Klay is doing pretty damn well on teh defensive end. He guards the opposing team's best perimeter player all the time, so of course there will be games where they will be able to get off and have good games. The important thing to me is that he is up to the task and his effort is A+.